Reiser's Ramblings Book Preview by . Fr. Berard Reiser

Reiser’sRamblingsFr. Bernard reiser

A collection of columns by the founding pastor of Epiphany Parish in Coon Rapids, Minnesota

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Religion / Christian Living / Spirituality

USA Suggested Retail: $16.95

Front cover portrait: Mark SanisloJacket design:Jacqueline Nasseff HilgertPublisher:Reiser Relief Inc.

All profits from the sale of Reiser’s Ramblings go to Haitian relief efforts sponsored by Reiser Relief.

Learn more by visiting www.ReiserRelief.org.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Father Bernard Reiser was born in 1924 to Aloys and Ottilia Reiser, farmers living in Medina, Minnesota. Father Reiser was ordained to the priesthood on June 4, 1949 and was assigned to St. Mary of the Lake parish in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. In 1964, Archbishop Leo Binz asked Father Reiser to start a parish in the quickly-growing Minneapolis suburb of Coon Rapids. Seventy acres of farmland was acquired for the new church, which was named Epiphany after one of the great feast days of the Lord.

Under Father Reiser’s leadership, Epiphany grew to become one of the largest Catholic communities in the state. In addition to a spacious sanctuary, the Epiphany campus includes an elementary school, a Perpetual Adoration chapel, a senior housing complex, an assisted living facility, a cemetery, and several outdoor shrines.

In 1996, Father Reiser traveled to Haiti. “I had seen slums in China, Egypt and Mexico City,” he wrote. “None of them compare to the tragic realities of the slum outside Port au Prince.” In time, Father Reiser established Reiser Relief Inc., a non-profit organization that funds relief and development projects in Haiti. Father Reiser is now retired from Epiphany, but he remains actively involved in helping the world’s poorest citizens as chairman of Reiser Relief.

FATHER BERNARd REISER

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Introduction and Acknowledgments

It typically was late each Sunday before I’d have an opportunity to set down on paper my thoughts for the columns that would become the weekly Reiser’s Rambling. Often, it was midnight and the only sound in the rectory was the hum coming from the refrigerator. I would sit at the kitchen table – always with a bowl of ice cream because that is my favorite treat – and look at the blank page. Before I’d start I’d offer this quick prayer: “God, what will we write about this week?”

Most weeks, the idea for the weekly column was planted like a seed as I went about my duties visiting the home-bound or those in the hospital, delivering communion, meeting with the scores of dedicated staff or volunteers who we rely upon to keep the parish in tip-top condition and our outreach efforts continuing to make an impact in the world. Sometimes the ideas came while I traveled abroad to experience a new land and foreign culture. Other times, the idea for the weekly Rambling came while taking a simple walk around the grounds or being diverted from my schedule by illness or weather or an offer for lunch with a friend. I often used a dictaphone, as that was a convenient way to get my thoughts across to the secretary who was in charge of typing the column each Monday. Always, though, the columns were polished up at the kitchen table near midnight, helped along by spoonfuls of delicious ice cream and sometimes a cookie or two.

The columns for the weekly bulletin stopped, of course, when I retired as Epiphany’s pastor. But many of you have kept them in binders that are so heavy I’d be hard-pressed to lift them off the table. My thought not long ago was to assemble all of the Reiser’s Rambling columns into a book; this anthology of the very best columns is the fulfillment of that idea. I’ve added some photos

Reiser’s Ramblings

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to help illustrate some of my themes. The columns presented in this volume have been organized by theme and there is an introduction to open each section.

It’s important to note that all the profits from the sale of this book are being directed to help the poor of Haiti through Reiser Relief. When you read the columns contained within, some written more than twenty-five years ago, I hope you’ll find they inspire you twice – once for the subject matter, and once for the knowledge that your purchase has helped poor children get an education and clean drinking water.

I am awestruck to realize that every week, when I asked God what He wanted to write about in the weekly column, an idea always emerged. I’m further awed that so many of you have been

Jason Betthauser


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so moved by these columns that you’ve held onto them for so many years.

I have been, and continue to be, blessed to have numerous individuals looking out for my health and well-being; so many people deserve my gratitude that I can’t possibly list their names in the short space available here. You know who you are; please trust that you are remembered in my prayers.

As far as those who have had more direct involvement in the completion of this book, I must first give thanks to Jesus and Mary for their unmeasured blessings, guidance and love.

I am grateful also to my parents, Aloys and Ottilia Reiser, and my siblings; they have been the most creative and influential force in my life.

I want to recognize my late housekeeper, Rae Hauck, who was like a second mother to me for twenty-nine years. I want to also recognize photographer Greg Vilina and artist Mark Sanislo for their contributions.

I am grateful to Michele Flaherty, who encouraged me to publish a book of Reiser’s Rambling columns; she was of great assistance to me in the effort to get the collection organized.

I want to thank all the people who volunteer their time, talent and love, as together we have moved Reiser Relief Inc. to the splendid position it enjoys in all of its relief efforts. Like Christ, you offer hope to the hopeless.

Finally, to all the parishioners of St. Mary of the Lake in White Bear Lake and Epiphany Church in Coon Rapids with whom I shared the sixty years of my priesthood; their kindness and love shown to me was beyond measurement.

Ad Jesum Per Mariam (To Jesus through Mary)

Father Bernard Reiser =


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Contents

Section OneEarly Life and Key Influences

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Section TwoThe Wonder of God’s Creation

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Section ThreeOur Place in God’s World

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Section FourCounting Our Blessings

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Section FiveGod’s Grace at Work Within Us

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Section SixAll Eyes on Heaven

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ReflectionThe Blessings of My Priesthood

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Early Life and Key Influences

My first memories go back to the farm where my parents, Aloys and Ottilia Reiser, raised me, my brother, and my three sisters during the Great depression. My father was a truck farmer, meaning the vegetables and meat he raised were trucked into the Minneapolis Farmers Market for sale every day. Farming was a difficult way to support a family during the Great Depression yet my father never faltered in his faith that God would provide for us. My father never said, “We’ll try” when telling us something needed to get done. Instead, he told us, “We will!” This lesson in perseverance was one all of his children took to heart.

The little parish we attended in Medina, Minnesota, was called Holy Name, a small country parish of seventy families with a par-ish school of about eighty students, divided into two classrooms. We attended Holy Name through eighth grade and learned our lessons so well that we outpaced our public school classmates once we moved onto Wayzata High School.

It was at home on our family farm and at events in our small parish where I developed my love for God and the Catholic faith. My parents worked hard, fed us well, loved us and loved each other. Never once did I hear my parents quarrel.

I was ordained in 1949 and have devoted the remainder of my life to the faith, serving God’s people, ministering, presiding over baptisms, marriages and funerals, lifting up the needy, helping the poor.

Since my ordination, I have traveled around the globe, wit-nessed dramatic world events, built up God’s church to the best of

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My parents, Ottilia and aloys reiser.

my ability, and paused once a week to jot down my thoughts on it all. In this first section, I share some of my columns to give you an idea about the early influences that shaped me. =

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Sunday was the day for worship, rest and family

Sundays during my childhood were always a magnificent and wonderful day of the week. It was worth looking forward to be-cause it was a day filled with many delights. You need remember this is over sixty years ago down on the farm. After the morning milking was done, Mass was next on the agenda. It was always a special time of the week and we all had to put on our best clothes. They might not have been stylish, but they were always clean and well pressed. Shirt and tie were an absolute, and everyone had one good shirt that was reserved for Sunday Mass. Mother always said, “The Lord needed to get our very best.”

Holy Name Church was a small country parish of only seven-ty families, and everyone knew everybody else, as well as every-body else’s business. Every family had their own particular pew and that’s where you took occupancy at every church service. You always knew who was at Sunday Mass, and if they were miss-ing, there was always a cause for alarm, because everyone went. If Uncle Johnny or Aunt Clara were missing, there would be a phone call right after Mass to discover whether or not something had gone wrong; were they sick or had they experienced some tragedy? It wasn’t a case of being snoopy, but just being sensitive to any possibility that there was a problem because everybody went to church.

Mass was in Latin except the sermon (they didn’t call them “homilies” in those days). We all had our Sunday Missals and followed along very easily. There was always perfect order in Church because Mother was at one end of the pew and dad on the other end, with the kids in between, and if you had even an ounce of sense, you knew it was imperative that you minded your Ps and Qs. After Mass, the parking lot didn’t clear very quickly, because it was a wonderful opportunity for neighbors to pause and visit. The men gathered in one area, the ladies in another, and

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the kids just ran around, goofing off. The church was not only a place for prayer and worship, but also for socializing, renewing of friendships and keeping up to date on what was happening with the neighbors.

The priest was in charge of all things pertaining to the parish. He was the last word in all matters, and questioning any of his decisions was like challenging the Pope. There weren’t a dozen different boards and numerous committee meetings. Times have certainly changed.

The Sunday dinner was always a delightful experience, and for us, chicken was the favorite of the whole family. Mashed po-tatoes, magnificent gravy, wonderful vegetables and chicken that would certainly have challenged Kentucky Fried were on the Sun-day menu. Apple pie reigned supreme, with some of the seasonal varieties such as cherry and pumpkin coming in here and there during the course of the year. Another magnificent dimension of Sunday was freezing a gallon of ice cream. The freezer was an old hand-crank model that required a lot of arm muscle, chipped ice and salt. It was there that I gained a marvelous taste for that delicacy called ice cream, and the years have not diminished my appetite for it.

There was no work on Sunday, except the barn chores, be-cause we felt the Lord wouldn’t look too kindly upon it. Farmers are certainly dependent on God for good weather, with a good balance of sun and rain, early springs and late frosts. God was cer-tainly in charge, so we didn’t feel we should challenge His rules and wishes.

Entertainment was homemade and always occupied a good part of Sunday afternoon and evening. The season of the year determined the activities. Winter was filled with tobogganing, ski-ing, skating and playing wonderful games inside the house, along with an ample supply of popcorn, homemade beer and delicious fudge. Summer season offered grand opportunities for fishing

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in the local lakes and playing softball at the parish ball field. On special Sundays, we sat along the shore of Lake Minnetonka and watched the motor-boat races; this was the ultimate in excitement, adventure and entertainment.

Mother and dad came from large families, so there were always a lot of visitors on Sundays. People just dropped in, invi-tations weren’t considered necessary. Each parish had their own Sunday festival during the summer or fall, so that was always a must for the family to attend. There would be a dinner and a wide variety of games and entertainment.

They were wonderful days, because everything centered around the family; we prayed together, worked together, ate together and played together. You not only loved your family members, but they were friends. ¼

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Our Place in God’s World

Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.

– Thomas Paine

Freedom is the birthright of man; it belongs to him by right of his humanity, in so far as this consists with every other person’s freedom.

– Immanuel Kant

No man is free who cannot command himself. – Pythagoras

We are all enriched with God’s Grace for the purpose of developing our selves into His image and likeness. His life, which comes into each and every person’s soul at the time of Baptism, is fostered through the other Sacraments by Grace, with its limitless potential from God. Grace produces varied and magnificent results in those who receive it. It helps each person in a very special and unique fashion. It helps one to be a better mother or a saleslady, another to be a good plumber, a good farmer, a good doctor or a good priest. Each responds in their own particular fashion and manner, each doing what God wants them to do in their particular vocation or way of life.

God also gives us free will, the freedom to choose to follow Him — or not. We probably all can point to instances in our world when those greatly blessed have directed their talents for evil purposes, with the result being that innocent people suffer. Free

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will is part of God’s plan for the world, like it or not. Throughout my years as a priest, I have had the opportunity

to travel to all parts of the world, witnessing first hand the suffering of those who aren’t blessed with the freedom we Americans too often take for granted.

My trip to Haiti in the early 1990s impacted me far more than all my other journeys, however, for in Haiti I came face to face with the poorest of the poor, the “least” among us. Long before the 2010 earthquake devastated Haiti, Reiser Relief Inc., has been actively supporting the poor in Haiti.

When you finish enjoying Reiser’s Ramblings, please take time to learn more about how you can make our world a better place by helping the world’s poorest citizens by going online to www.ReiserRelief.org. =

Mark Sanislo

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Let’s look past the dailycrisis to see the big picture

Thankfully, Coca Cola is going back to its old formula and we can avert another national crisis. With the news coverage given this terribly significant fact and the response of so many, with some even storing hundreds of cases, it was taking on the dimensions of another cataclysm in our social structure.

I was only five years old during the 1929 Stock Market crash that caused financial ruin for countless numbers; then came the drought of the early 1930s; in the late 1930s, Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin brought war and bloodshed to Europe; Pearl Har-bor in 1941 roused the fury of America and nearly four years of bloodshed followed; VE and VJ days followed that and post war years experienced a major shift in gears. The wars in Korea and Vietnam brought many anxious years to Americans who were personally involved. The early 1960s brought the Second Vatican Council and a good measure of turmoil in the Church. A change is usually difficult, especially in areas where people have experi-enced very little change or alteration.

The last ten years have witnessed a fluctuating economy with high interest rates and unemployment percentages that create dark overtones in the lives of millions.

Yes, there have been many tense situations and crises over the past three-quarters of a century.

All of the above have adequately prepared me for this latest crisis on the American scene – should Coke really dump the old formula and go with a new one and create nearly mob hysteria?

In an era when half the world goes to bed hungry every night and thousands die daily of starvation in Ethiopia and India, it seems rather sad that changing any formula of a soft drink should provoke more than a couple lines on page thirty-nine of the local paper. We live in an age when trivia occupies so much

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of our attention and big issues like where did we come from, who made us, where are we going after death, and what is life all about, get very little of people’s time, let alone much mention in the daily press or on the TV channels. ¼

Trivial matters tend to distract us from focusing on what’s important, such as lifting children out of poverty.

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Gratitude isn’t measured by what we haveA couple of weeks ago, I had a wonderful experience when

I spent some time at Mary Jo Copeland’s Sharing and Caring Hands. Some of our Epiphany people were serving the dinner and the place was jumping with activity.

It was a heartwarming experience and one of those special times in life that make you really glad to be alive. There was an extraordinary atmosphere of joy and a real festive mood pre-vailed. There was an accordion player providing some good foot-stomping music and a few responded very well to the invitation.

They were celebrating St. Valentine’s day and the menu was chili, sandwiches, cookies and coffee, which was for many of them like a Thanksgiving dinner. There was no shoving or pushing in the food line; in fact, they just gracefully moved in when the line became short. Everyone was friendly and enjoyed chatting for a bit. I was visiting with a man when Mary Jo came over and I said to him, “What’s her name?”

He flashed a big smile and said, “Angel!” What a magnificent tribute. She returned a big smile and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek.

I thought of Christ’s words: Whatsoever you do for the least of your brothers and sisters, you do for Me. (Matthew 25:40)

I looked at the many people in the shelter, dressed in clothes that were not tailored for them on Fifth Avenue in New York. They weren’t a clean-shaven group and not much after-shave lo-tion was in the air. But there was something special I noticed as I moved around the shelter. despite the cold day and all the hard-ships, these people endure from day to day, not a single person complained or said, “Isn’t the weather cold or isn’t this or that terrible?” Rather, there was a very positive, joyous and delightful spirit in the hearts of all.

I left the shelter and stopped at North Memorial Hospital to

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see a sick parishioner. I met a nurse on the elevator and gave her a cheerful greeting. Her response was, “It sure is cold out and I have a whole shift to work.”

I was tempted to say, “You poor darling, why don’t you change places with the street people and then see your attitude.”

Often those who have so much complain the most and those who have so little are so very grateful for what they have.

Yes, it was a wonderful day and the people at Sharing and Caring Hands made it even better! ¼

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Christ’s life radiatesthrough the work of Mother Teresa

The Christophers have a marvelous saying, “Better to light a candle than curse the darkness.” That being true, I wonder how many millions and millions of candles Mother Teresa caused to be lit through her magnificent and marvelous life. She literally lit the world by her love, compassion and kindness. Everywhere she went, the people felt God’s presence. The power that flowed from her life originated in her adoration and reception of the Eucharist. She was a woman who knew Christ so personally that His life radiated through her every action and word. As the Sun illuminates the Moon, so Jesus Christ was the burning light within the life of Mother Teresa.

She moved as easily among kings, queens, Popes, presidents and great leaders of state as she did among the poor of Calcutta she loved so dearly. Each held specialness no matter what they did, or didn’t do, in life because each was created to the image and likeness of God.

People come and go, but the likes of Mother Teresa come seldom and rarely, with the magnetism and power of person she possessed. Her humble and simple dress, her unpretentious speech and her humble manner made her very special among the people of the earth.

Several centuries ago, John the Baptist issued a clarion call along the banks of the Jordan River, directing attention to the new Messiah — Jesus of Nazareth. People like the great Herod stood in awe in his presence and listened with great attentiveness to the words that flowed from his lips. Our century has had another John the Baptist, different in style but with the same direction, calling people’s attention to Christ, to His way of life, to His teachings, that we might in turn embrace them as our own, namely, Teresa, the Angel of Calcutta.

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There is an old saying that “apples fall not far from the tree, that children are an expression of their parents and teachers,” and so the sisters in Mother Teresa’s order give beautiful expression of the teacher from whom they learned the lesson of Christianity.

I encountered the sisters of Mother Teresa firsthand while I was in Haiti. They operate an orphanage for children dying of malnutrition. Half of the children in Haiti die before the age of four, so you can imagine the number of little ones the good sisters take care of. A visit to their orphanage was a heart-wrenching experience, to see dozens of little ones in their cribs, with their little bodies severely ravaged by malnutrition. Shortly after our arrival at the orphanage, a young mother brought in her baby and one of the sisters said, “In less than three days this child will be dead unless extraordinary methods are successful.”

When you picked a child up, they held on for dear life because of their need for love and closeness. The work of the sisters in the orphanage is beyond expression in its value and goodness.

One of the most inspirational Masses I have ever offered was in the chapel of the orphanage. The sisters, along with some of the little babies they cared for, were present with our group. It was a moving, touching experience and the Lord God certainly was close at hand.

We also visited a home for adults who were terminal, men and women by the dozens, lying on beds with sheets white as snow, cared for with a love that was beyond expression. Their stay on earth would indeed be short. The sisters had me anoint a few dozen of them who were close to death.

This was only one area in the world where Mother Teresa’s sisters share their love. I believe they have 500 missions, all of them inspired, motivated, touched by this great woman called Teresa. Who could possibly measure the good influence she has had in our twentieth century? God’s grace and power can

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work wonders when the human individual allows itself to be an instrument, as Mother Teresa did so beautifully. Our hats are off to her, our voices echo her accolades and we thank God for the magnificent manner in which she said “yes” to God. ¼

Mark Sanislo

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Visit to Haiti compels relief effortMy trip to Haiti last January will long be remembered. Over

the last thirty years, I have had the opportunity to travel much of the world and never have I seen poverty in such stark reality as I experienced in Haiti. They speak of the Third World coun-tries that have tremendous needs. I would say that Haiti is in the Fourth World.

We visited Cité Soleil, a Port-au-Prince slum, where a quarter of a million people live without running water, a sewage system and scarcely any electricity, a scene that is unbelievable. The sanitation problem is beyond expression, the shortage of free fresh water is unbelievable, and the lack of food is tragic, especially when you see so much food wasted here in bountiful America. With no running water, people need to go to a central supply point and carry home their water in five-gallon buckets. At one water center 26,000 people come on a normal day to get water. This is only one of the locations. Many people live alongside gar-bage piles that are unbelievable. While we wonder about which food we should choose for a meal they can look forward to the same diet day after day, rice with a bean sauce over the top, and they are very fortunate to have that if anything.

As we went to this area several times during our stay, I thought to myself, the animals on our farm years ago lived in far better circumstances than do these human beings. We who live in such comfort cannot imagine the situation that these people endure day after day.

The seven of us who made the journey all experienced the same traumatic impressions and we have a compelling need to do something to alleviate at least some of the misery, poverty, hard-ship and trauma.

We easily spent the $10,000 that was given in the second col-lection on Christmas day. It was spent as follows:

Four thousand dollars was given to the Sisters of Mother

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Teresa. We visited two of their homes, one that takes care of the malnourished infants and dying children, the other was a home for dying adults. Both visits were very traumatic. The effects of malnutrition are devastating.

We gave $2,000 to a young married man, Loll Jean-Phillipe, who runs a school for 175 children from the slums who are in very desperate need. He does a fantastic job with the little he receives and our check was certainly a day brightener and offered much encouragement in his selfless dedication to the little ones.

Father Horelle Fleuriscat, who works in the mountains and travels by mule and foot, received $1,000. The money will take care of his budget for six months. He educates 1,000 children with volunteer teachers. The smile on his face was unforgettable as I gave him the check.

One thousand dollars went to Yvette Papillon who runs vari-ous places for the destitute. We visited one which is called her

Haitian children carry life-saving water to their homes in buckets. reiser relief inc., covers the costs to deliver fresh water

six-days-a-week to the poor living in Cité soleil, Haiti.

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nutrition center where dozens and dozens of people come each day for extra nutritional needs, various vitamins, medications and so forth. She has been cooking with charcoal to feed the many who come to her, some of our donation will go toward two gas-burning cooking units and tanks of propane which will make her situation much easier.

With $400, I was able to buy a one-room home for a man and wife with four children. Certainly nothing very spacious but it is a place to call their own and lay their heads. Another $200 went to a man who takes in homeless children he cares, educates and provides for. The other $400 went to various needy men, women and children.

We visited Leogone, which has a place for abandoned women, away from Port-au-Prince, run by Sister Claudette. There were nearly 200 women who were brought there from the streets of Port-au-Prince, and from other areas. Sister Claudette and a few helpers care for them with the love that is Christ Himself. The meals were simple but nourishing. The beds were clean and the sheets as white as snow. There was so much love being extended that it touched your heart to do something positive to help in some way.

We gave $1,000 to Sr. Claudette; she does a fantastic job caring for these people, showing them much love and attention. Their need for more facilities was apparent at a moment’s glance, so our group agreed to do something about it. We have decided to build another residence for abandoned people, about a mile from the present one, which would have sixty or more beds and would provide adequate and decent living conditions to people who are not experiencing them. The cost of the project will be $175,000, which we see as a very attainable goal, especially when you see the tremendous need.

I shall also remember that area very well, because it was there that I fell and scraped my leg and subsequently got an infection

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More than half of all Haitians are unable to read or write. reiser relief inc., pays teachers’ salaries in two Haitian schools.

in my leg that I have battled for ten months. It is nearly all healed now, but the duration of the healing has been a constant reminder of my need to so something for these poor people. Perhaps the healing was delayed to impress upon my mind that their suffer-ing never goes away and the only termination for many is death. Surely we can do something to alleviate their hardships in life. The reward for those who help the poor will certainly be most bountiful on the last day; the Lord said a hundredfold.

I assure you, as often as you did it for one of my least brothers and sisters, you did it for me. (Matthew 25:40)

The trip to Haiti was an experience of a lifetime, never to be forgotten. The dedication of the people who serve these very, very needy people is beyond expression. They are certainly serving Christ in a most magnificent and glorious way. Your generosity gave you a very personal part in their works of love and their car-ing for God’s neglected children and adults. ¼

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Speak and act like Christians; people will notice

My mother had lots of good advice to give us children. It was down to earth, practical, and of course, had a Christian orienta-tion. As I was leaving the farm for college, she had a beautiful reminder, very simple and to the point: “Please don’t ever embar-rass the Reiser name.”

Very clearly she reminded me that as I lived, conducted myself, spoke and responded, the reputation of the family was at stake. Would I please realize that the reputation the family had fashioned over the years should not be torn down by some fool-ish or stupid actions or expressions on my part? The family had spent many years in building a good reputation and how quickly a member of that family can tear that excellent record down.

I have thought of her words often in the fifty-three years that have passed since those words were spoken. They have helped me keep my nose pointed in the right direction, my actions proper and my speech such that would not mar the family’s reputation.

As we move through the world, not only our family’s reputa-tion is at stake, but also the reputation of our church and Chris-tianity as a whole. How we live, act and speak announces to the world what influence our religion has on our daily life.

People normally know the faith we are and they judge our religion by the manner in which we conduct ourselves, speak and act. When people review our lives they can observe how impor-tant our faith life really is to us. If we speak and act like Chris-tians, people will notice, be influenced, and will be motivated and directed toward our faith.

The eyes of others are always upon us; they watch our every move. They listen to the words that fall from our lips and they are prone to judge rather quickly on how we match up against our great model, Jesus Christ.

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We will be celebrating Epiphany [in 1996] on Sunday, Janu-ary 7. Epiphany comes from a Greek word meaning “manifesta-tion.” How well do we manifest the Christ who is our model for every hour, day and week of our lives?

My mother’s words could easily be changed a little to: “Please don’t ever embarrass the Church, which has your membership.” ¼

Our actions need to match up to our great model, Jesus Christ.

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About Reiser Relief Inc.

Reiser Relief Inc. is a volunteer run non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation founded by Father Bernard reiser, who has been involved with Haiti outreach programs since 1996. reiser relief is based in Coon rapids, Minnesota, and its mission is to help the impoverished people of Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The social and environmental problems are the greatest challenges the people of Haiti are facing today.

in the midst of these problems, we are compelled to provide the essential services to aid in day-to-day survival. The services we provide include: fresh water delivery, food centers, housing, primary grade education and eldercare facilities. Many projects are in or near Cité soleil, the suburb of the Haitian capital of Port au Prince.

One of our original programs that we sponsored was the Village of Jesus, located in the mountain area of Leoganes. There we built a center caring for abandoned women who had no place to live. it currently has dormitories, laundry facilities, kitchen, dining and bathrooms to accommodate these women.

Our school programs provide hope for a better future that comes with an education. Children receive a daily meal at school and for many, this is their only meal for the day. We engage in building and supporting school classrooms and sanitary blocks for sewage. donations provide for so much — salaries for teachers, text books, food, uniforms and hope. reiser relief supports two primary schools: Terre Promise and reiser Heights Primary.

We assisted in building and supporting medical community centers and sanitary blocks for sewage. We also support clinics and small hospitals in Cité soleil. The number one cause for illness is the lack of clean water and our water delivery program brings life-saving water daily to those in need. Fresh water is obtained from deep wells and trucked to the areas of need.

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The water truck operates six days a week making four deliveries to many neighborhoods in Cité soleil and reaching numerous impoverished families where the local people carry the water home in five-gallon buckets. With your help, we can affect thousands of lives; without the water we supply to these impoverished people, they cannot survive.

With the Grace of our living God and help of donors, in 2008 Reiser Relief partnered with Healing Haiti, a non-profit organization; together we purchased sixteen acres of land to build Grace Village. it will be a little city of peace including Maranatha Orphanage for handicapped, deaf, orphaned and abandoned children living in severe poverty. a separate facility will be constructed to provide for the elderly. We are pleased to share that in 2009 the ground breaking had begun for Grace Village.

In January 2010, Haiti was hit by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake. Reiser Relief was quick to respond. The day after the earthquake, Reiser Relief, Inc., sent $10,000 for water fuel truck expenses and food purchases. Weeks later, it donated another $10,000 to Feed My Starving Children for ingredients to make MannaPack-Potato nutrition packets, used to treat children suffering from diarrhea, and another $6,000 to offset shipping costs for a cargo food container. It donated another $20,000 for reconstruction of Terra Promise Primary school.

reiser relief is committed to providing essential services to aid in day-to-day survival of thousands. We live among abundance; the Haitians live in extreme poverty.

The people of Haiti await your generous response and pray for God’s abundant blessings upon you. Visit the reiser relief website to learn more about how you can help the effort in Haiti and please donate.

www.reiserrelief.org

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Haiti Prayer

Almighty Father in Heaven, surround the people of Haiti with Thy divine Providence.

Strengthen them in their trials, provide for their needs.

May they join their sufferings to those of Jesus, God’s Son, as they walk through

the rubble of the January earthquake.May they realize that they are accompanying

Jesus on the road to crucifixion.

May the Joys of Easter unfold in their hearts, and encourage them to persevere

to Heaven’s kingdom.

Amen.

Father Bernard ReiserApril 27, 2010

He will wipe away all tears from their eyes; there will be no more death, no more mourning or sadness. The world of the past has gone. (Revelation 21:4)

Reiser’sRamblingsFr. Bernard reiser

A collection of columns by the founding pastor of Epiphany Parish in Coon Rapids, Minnesota

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Religion / Christian Living / Spirituality

USA Suggested Retail: $16.95

Front cover portrait: Mark SanisloJacket design:Jacqueline Nasseff HilgertPublisher:Reiser Relief Inc.

All profits from the sale of Reiser’s Ramblings go to Haitian relief efforts sponsored by Reiser Relief.

Learn more by visiting www.ReiserRelief.org.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Father Bernard Reiser was born in 1924 to Aloys and Ottilia Reiser, farmers living in Medina, Minnesota. Father Reiser was ordained to the priesthood on June 4, 1949 and was assigned to St. Mary of the Lake parish in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. In 1964, Archbishop Leo Binz asked Father Reiser to start a parish in the quickly-growing Minneapolis suburb of Coon Rapids. Seventy acres of farmland was acquired for the new church, which was named Epiphany after one of the great feast days of the Lord.

Under Father Reiser’s leadership, Epiphany grew to become one of the largest Catholic communities in the state. In addition to a spacious sanctuary, the Epiphany campus includes an elementary school, a Perpetual Adoration chapel, a senior housing complex, an assisted living facility, a cemetery, and several outdoor shrines.

In 1996, Father Reiser traveled to Haiti. “I had seen slums in China, Egypt and Mexico City,” he wrote. “None of them compare to the tragic realities of the slum outside Port au Prince.” In time, Father Reiser established Reiser Relief Inc., a non-profit organization that funds relief and development projects in Haiti. Father Reiser is now retired from Epiphany, but he remains actively involved in helping the world’s poorest citizens as chairman of Reiser Relief.

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